Topic: Strawberrys??

Strawberrys?? 

A newbie seeks a little advice if possible...

Our strawberry plants are looking pretty mongrol and we are lucky to get only one or two fruit per plant.

They were planted in well draining pots, but have since been transfered to the main vege garden.

Is there anything we can do to give them a little sizzle and spark and help them on their way??

Thanks
Drew

Re: Strawberrys?? 

its not that wet all the time is it? they like well-drained soil apparently. also might want to try some fertilizer if you wanna give them the hurry along.

Re: Strawberrys?? 

Try and Google "growing strawberries". The internet is a wealth of knowledge.

In your particular case I can see that your soil needs more organic matter, and mulching, and you have also covered the "crowns" of a few of the plants. The crown is the growing bit in the middle of the plant, it must be left uncovered to grow and produce fruit. Also, try growing your patch on long mulched mounds, with each plant well spaced.

more info about growing strawberries...

Selecting A Site

Strawberries need three things to grow well: lots of sunlight, rich soil, and good drainage.

Sun

Strawberries need a minimum of six hours of sun per day.

Soil

Soil that is high in organic matter is absolutely necessary. To get your strawberries off to a good start, clear the area of all weeds and grass, and dig two to three inches of compost into the top few inches of soil. Besides requiring rich soil. Strawberries also prefer slightly acidic soil wit a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Test your soil for pH, and then amend it if needed to raise its acidity level.

Drainage

Strawberries hate sitting in water. They need consistent moisture, but will rot if the site drains poorly. If your site has poor drainage, consider building a raised bed.

Planting Strawberries

Planting strawberries is fairly straightforward. In your prepared bed, dig holes the size of the rootball and plant it with the crown of the plant slightly above soil level. Backfill, and water your plants in well. Once your plants are in, mulch the beds with straw, shredded leaves, compost, or pine needles. Pine needles are great because they will raise the acidity level of your soil as they break down.

Watch the plants for first signs of flower buds. If you are growing ever-bearing or day-neutral varieties, remove these first buds to allow the plant to establish itself more before fruit production begins.

A final note on planting: don't plant strawberries in or near an area that is currently growing tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, eggplants, or raspberries. These plants can harbor verticillium wilt, which can infect strawberry plants.

Strawberry Patch Maintenance

Water

Strawberries don't like to sit in water, but they also need fairly consistent water available to them. This is why well-drained soil is so important. Strawberries require one inch of watter per week to produce fruit. They are shallow-rooted, and if the soil dries out too much, fruit production will halt. Mulching, as mentioned above, also helps keep the soil moisture level more consistent.

Fertilizing

Strawberries need constant nutrition to maintain fruit yields. Feed your strawberry plants once per month from June to September with blood meal and bone meal.

In addition to the watering and fertilizing, it is important to keep your strawberry patch weed free, especially since weeds will steal moisture and nutrients from your shallow-rooted strawberries very quickly. Keep your berries harvested, and remove any rotting fruit immediately.

Pest and Disease Control

Happily, strawberries have very few pest problems, but the ones they do have can be a real pain. The biggest pest for any berry grower is that of the feathered variety. Birds like nothing better than to devour fresh berries. They always seem to get to mine right before they're ripe enough to pick. To keep birds off of your berries, simply cover the plant or your entire patch with netting. You can purchase bird netting in any home and garden center.

The other main pests of strawberries are slugs and snails. They find strawberry foliage absolutely delectable. To keep them away, the best thing to do is install copper edging around the perimeter of your bed. Slugs and snails won't cross copper because it creates an electric reaction when it comes into contact with their slime.

As far as diseases go, the most prevalent one among strawberry plants is verticillium wilt. .This fungal disease will not only prevent fruit production, but it will also kill the plant. There is

Re: Strawberrys?? 

Wow!!

Thank you very much for all the info.

I will replant the strawberrys this weekend and show the progress.

Thanks Again

Drew